BAGH – Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday has said that Indian provocation is a threat to regional stability.

He expressed these views while addressing a gathering in Azad Kashmir.

The PM said that the government wants to see Azad Kashmir prosper. He said that India must not misunderstand Pakistan’s patience as weakness. PM Nawaz said that Pakistan would gift victory in war on terror to the international powers.

Nawaz said that United Nations (UN) is being informed about Indian aggression along Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary. Nation can never forget the innocent lives lost to Indian shelling, he added. The premier reassured Kashmiris of Pakistan s support.

While talking about operation in Karachi, he said that crime rate in Sindh s metropolitan has decreased significantly.

As soon as the resolution was presented both the MQM members boycotted the assembly and went out.

Moreover, the ruling party will alsois also likely to present condemnation resolution in the assembly.

Scridb filter]]>http://www.dailytelegram.net/resolution-condemning-altafs-statement-submitted-in-ajk-legislative-assembly_088280.html/feed0Indian cross-border firing in Kashmir forces residents to fleehttp://www.dailytelegram.net/indian-cross-border-firing-in-kashmir-forces-residents-to-flee_087297.html
http://www.dailytelegram.net/indian-cross-border-firing-in-kashmir-forces-residents-to-flee_087297.html#commentsMon, 26 Aug 2013 15:58:17 +0000adminhttp://www.dailytelegram.net/?p=7297Read more »]]>MUZAFFARABAD: Several hundred villagers have fled their homes in Pakistani Kashmir after deadly cross-border shelling by the Indian army, Pakistani officials said Monday.

Pakistani authorities on Sunday accused the Indian army of killing two women and wounding seven other civilians in shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) which marks the de facto border in the disputed territory.

So far six Pakistanis are reported to have been killed in firing across the heavily militarised border since five Indian soldiers were ambushed and killed on August 5 in Kashmir.

Delhi blamed the August 5 killings on the Pakistani army, but Islamabad has denied any responsibility and has called for restraint.

“Since Sunday at least 40 families or 300 people have left their homes in 10 villages in Nakyal sector to escape shelling by Indian troops,” said Javed Budhanwi, a cabinet minister for the regional government in Pakistani Kashmir.

Nakyal is around 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir.

The summer holidays for schools along the LoC have also been extended until August 31 for safety reasons, officials said.

Most of the displaced, from Datoot village, have been given shelter at camps set up in colleges in the town of Nakyal, Budhanwi said.

About 10 families have moved in with relatives and more people are expected to flee in the next few days if the Indian firing continues, he added.

“We are requesting villagers to remain inside their houses as Indian troops are targeting the civilian population with small arms and heavy weapons,” he said.

Many villagers have dug trenches outside their houses for when the shelling starts, he said.

Four civilians were wounded by Indian fire on Monday, local government official Masoodur Rehman told AFP.

He also confirmed that families had started to flee.

The clashes threaten to jeopardise a planned meeting between the two countries’ prime ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next month.

A deadly flare-up along the LoC in January halted peace talks that had only just resumed following a three-year hiatus sparked by the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people.

Flash floods triggered by heavy rains claimed at least 19 lives and injured another 42 people across the country on Friday, as officials warned residents the worst still lay ahead.

Parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas were worst affected by the torrential rains, with as many as 13 reported dead and 34 injured in separate incidents. Six fatalities were reported in Punjab.

Extensive property damage was also reported from the country’s northern regions and residents in many areas were forced to leave their homes as rainwater inundated their houses.

Even more mass displacement is expected, as the water level continues to rise. Nearly 50,000 cusecs of water flowed into Warsak Dam on Friday, increasing its water level. Officials fear the flooding may reach Nowshera today (Saturday).

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), seven districts of K-P, including Nowshera, Swat, Peshawar and Kohistan, are sensitive. Talking to The Express Tribune, PDMA Director-General Atifur Rehman said tents, water and food supplies have been sent to these areas.

He added, however, that “the situation is something to worry about.”

As of now, Chitral district appeared to be the worst hit. Floods have claimed the lives of five people since Thursday morning, as rainwater washed away dozens of houses and destroyed two bridges connecting the Kalash valley to Upper Chitral. A minor girl was also reported injured in the district.

Talking to reporters while visiting the affected areas, Chitral deputy commissioner Shoaib Jadoon said rains and flash floods destroyed at least 60 houses in the district. Unofficially, however, the figure was as high as 120. At least 45 of these houses belonged to the Bamboret valley. Communications and water and electricity supply systems in the entire district were severely disrupted as well.

Jadoon added that the district administration has launched rescue efforts and moved flood victims to safer ground in Chitral city.

Four people were killed in Bagh, AJK, when their vehicle was swept off the road by flash floods. Another man reportedly drowned in Bagh’s Ghaniabad area. Seventeen more people were also reported injured across AJK. The heavy downpour also caused millions of rupees worth of property damage in the region, destroying commercial and residential buildings as well as crops.

A boy and his mother were killed in Bajaur Agency, as the roof of their house collapsed due to the heavy downpour. In a similar incident, a man was killed and his father critically injured in Peshawar district when the roof of the room they were in collapsed. Two children were killed in Timergara when a landslide struck their house. Rainfall also demolished the wall of a mosque in Karak city, injuring five worshippers.

At least eight houses in Khyber Agency were completely washed away by flash floods, while 17 others were reported to be partially damaged. According to Jamrud political administration official Asmatullah Wazir, 15 people were injured after the roofs of their houses caved in. Another seven tribesmen from the area were injured in separate rain-related incidents.

Floods and landslides hit villages and valleys in Gilgit-Baltistan, damaging standing crops, water channels and orchards. The floods also damaged part of the Chilas-Babusar road, besides washing away some timber.

Torrential rains caused low-level floods in Swat as well, while a massive torrent of rainwater flowing towards Gogdara village blocked the main GT Road. Low-level flooding was also reported in the Elum stream, prompting people living by its banks to evacuate their houses.

PM takes notice, army alerted

Taking notice of the extensive damages, especially in K-P, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed the National Disaster Management Authority to coordinate relief efforts with the province’s government immediately.

Meanwhile, the army, Frontier Corps and Levies have been put on high alert to provide immediate aid if the situation worsens.

The appointment of 11 advisers in Azad Kashmir (AJK) have been challenged in a local court.

A three-judge bench of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir High Court has been formed to hear a petition challenging the appointments of nine advisers to Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed and two advisers to President Sardar Yaqoob Khan.

The petition has been filed by the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) local leaders — Shah Ghulam Qadir and Abdul Khaliq Wasi.

The petitioners’ lawyer Raja Sajjad contended that the appointments of the advisers had been made under Rules of Business of Article 6 while the AJK Interim Constitution 1974 does not allow such appointments.

The counsel informed the bench that only the prime minister of Pakistan can appoint five advisers.

Sajjad urged the court to stop the advisers from performing their duties.

These ministers will reportedly vote in favour of the no confidence motion.

Belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Majeed was elected as the 11th AJK prime minister on July 26, 2011. Majeed had secured 35 votes while his opponent Farooq Haider Khan, from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), managed to secure only 11 votes.

Majeed, who was nominated by President Asif Ali Zardari for the premiership, was elected in the June 26, 2011 election from a constituency in the Mirpur district.

Scridb filter]]>http://www.dailytelegram.net/no-confidence-motion-moved-against-ajk-pm_076693.html/feed0Achakzai’s pie-in-the-sky formulahttp://www.dailytelegram.net/achakzais-pie-in-the-sky-formula_066099.html
http://www.dailytelegram.net/achakzais-pie-in-the-sky-formula_066099.html#commentsWed, 19 Jun 2013 06:07:28 +0000adminhttp://www.dailytelegram.net/?p=6099Read more »]]>Mehmood Khan Achakzai, chief of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, wants the state towithdraw security forces from the tribal areas, give immunity to the foreigners hiding there and start “serious” negotiations with the Taliban. He also wants the United States involved in these talks and thinks that Washington should be asked to put a moratorium on drone strikes until the conclusion of this process.

Now, Achakzai is a wise man and a seasoned politician. In this particular case, however, he seems to have allowed himself into a flight of fantasy instead of keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground.

Look at the implications and assumptions here.

Withdrawing troops from the tribal areas implies, or can be perceived to, that the trouble there is owed to military presence, not the Taliban. It assumes that by conceding the Taliban demand that the military be withdrawn from a territory that belongs to the state, the Taliban, by becoming more amenable to talks will start talking peace and, so it seems, will allow the state to extend its writ to Fata. It further assumes that the Taliban are attacking the state because of the military presence in the area and not because the military had to be sent in to check the accumulation in the area of undesirable elements, domestic and foreign.

None of these assumptions is correct. In fact, by withdrawing, all the agencies in Fata willbecome like North Waziristan and all the gains will be lost. It is true that the Taliban will be more amenable to talking, but that will not be because they would have been weakened but because they will have the confidence to talk from a position of strength provided to them by the state. The state will have effectively ceded its writ to them.

When the state cut the ill-advised Shakai Agreement in April 2004 with Nek Mohammad, a former petty car thief, Nek told the media that by coming to his lair, the army had surrendered to him, not the other way round.

Regarding giving immunity to foreigners, Achakzai needs to remember that the state, on multiple occasions, while cutting deals with the local tribes, made this concession: the foreigners, who are settled here and have contracted marriages, can live in the area but they must remain peaceful and must not indulge in unlawful activities. It was as effective as the Maginot Line before the Panzers. Nothing has changed. The foreigners, also allied with Al-Qaeda, make up effective fighting cadres for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Why would they remain peaceful and settle down to tending sheep, if not taking their kids out to have ice cream and watching Fast and Furious in some multiplex in North Waziristan?

How will the immunity for peaceful existence, presumably Achakzai’s formula, be enforced in Fata, especially if the state has withdrawn from the area and by doing so accepted the TTP’s suzerainty over Fata? And what guarantees will Achakzai extract from the TTP regarding those tribal lashkars which have stayed faithful to the state and have fought alongside the army? Going by previous experience, all local deals ended up strengthening the Taliban, who avenged themselves by merrily killing and beheading those who had sided with the state.

In fact, not only did the army lose much goodwill because of such deals, it also left pro-state elements at the mercy of these groups, making it extremely difficult subsequently for any tribe to openly side with the state.

As for Washington putting a moratorium on drone strikes in order for Achakzai’s brilliant formula to succeed, I suspect there won’t be many buyers in that town. Getting Washington to do so also assumes, again with the naivete of a winsome damsel, that no elements in Fata cross over into Afghanistan to attack Nato-Isaf troops there, just like no elements cross west to east to attack Pakistani troops.

I have a suggestion for Achakzai. If he can work out an enduring peace deal with the Ghabizais in his area, a much less complicated affair than the cross he wants to bear, I will have more faith in his ability to find solutions to wicked problems.

Now that I mention the Ghabizais, here is a bird’s eye view of what that is.

In the Gulistan area of Balochistan, along the road to Chaman, home to Achakzai, a feud erupted in 1990. It has so far consumed over 200 people, locals say. This is how it began.

Mohammad Khan Ghabizai murdered a man, Aslam, from the Achakzai tribe. Jirgas were held and an agreement was reached. Locals told me that Mohammad Khan, despite the agreement, continued to act arrogantly. This led to some Achakzai tribesmen ambushing and killing Mohammad Khan, along with his two sons, at Syed Hameed Cross on the road to Chaman. Our Achakzai had nothing to do with these killings but the Ghabizais held him responsible for the killings. Thus began a cycle with many a battle fought, Ghabizais led by Ahmad Khan and now Shakoor Khan, both sons of Mohammad Khan.

Typical tribal feud that and yet, 23 years down the line it remains alive, simmering and occasionally flaring up. As I said, if Achakzai can make peace in Gulistan, as a test case of sorts, I will be a little more confident of his scheme apropos of the TTP.

As I have argued several times in this space, talking is the only way to ultimately settle things. But talking requires an enabling environment which, in a conflict, depends on using force in ways that lead to utility of force. Achakzai’s formula is based on assumptions that are either untested or have been tried, tested and found wanting.

Another point which I have attempted to make before, and often, relates to the overall strategy to deal with these groups. Physical dominance of the area is important. This is what the army has done in large parts of Fata through counterterrorism military operations. But it’s not enough and it doesn’t address the other flank, neutralising urban terrorism, the advantage these groups have and which they will utilise. We have been like a boxer fighting with one strong arm. Before we get to talking, let’s first develop a viable CT strategy. There are aspects of that which need a separate discussion.

The eeriness of our situation reminds me of Pinter’s The Caretaker. The drop falls into the bucket; it has been falling for years now, followed by a pause. Nothing seems to come out of it. We don’t even know what it signifies.

Corollary: pie-in-the-sky schemes are not going to work.

Scridb filter]]>http://www.dailytelegram.net/achakzais-pie-in-the-sky-formula_066099.html/feed0Nightmares from Narendrahttp://www.dailytelegram.net/nightmares-from-narendra_066035.html
http://www.dailytelegram.net/nightmares-from-narendra_066035.html#commentsTue, 18 Jun 2013 06:57:32 +0000adminhttp://www.dailytelegram.net/?p=6035Read more »]]>‘Only a Nixon could go to China’ is an easy theory to pick up. The context is this: Dick Nixon spent his youth hunting down decent men he felt were communist spies. In a saner time, men like Nixon would have been kicked to the curb. Instead it was the 1950s, Joe McCarthy was senator and Americans everywhere were terrified of the Red Terror Beyond. “Tricky Dick” became a star in no time.

So, when he flew to Beijing decades later, this time as President Richard M Nixon, it shocked the world. Nixon, that soulless red-chaser, shook hands with communist royalty and opened China. No Democrat, not most Republicans for that matter, would have dared trying. A theory was born — that only zealots had the capital to go to the other end of the spectrum and make friends. Only a Richard could have conceded Jerusalem to Salahuddin, and only a Richard could make peace with Chairman Mao.

And so it was with sunny optimism that Pakistanis greeted the latest horrific news to do with Narendra Modi: the BJP’s decision that he lead their election campaign. Best known for his role in the Gujarat massacre, Modi has inched ever-closer to leading India. The communal party’s most communal candidate, could there be a better pick to “go to Islamabad” and repair ties? Or lift India’s 20 million Muslims out of the economic morass they’ve fallen into? Yes, thankfully, there could.

Because the “Nixon goes to China” premise is all wrong. For starters, it rarely happens. Bibi Netanyahu is no closer to peace with Palestine, Dr Najibullah failed to convince anyone he’d discovered Islam and Asif Zardari won’t ever smash corruption. Nor is Nixon the gold standard himself. Not only was he lacking in any principles his fans assumed he had, he was nowhere near as right wing as his sweaty public image. Attempting the unimaginable with China becomes a lot more imaginable considering Nixon’s moderate record in office. Considering Modi’s record, though, merits its own minute of silence.

Pakistani fantasies out of the way, it’s time to turn to the man. It was recalled in these pages that political psychologist Ashis Nandy came away from a meeting with Modi feeling he’d met a “textbook fascist”. This image rains on the BJP parade, busy as it is pushing the chief minister’s development of Gujarat. They needn’t be worried. Fellow fascist Mussolini did make the trains run on time and even Saddam was fond of promoting girls’ education. Fascists aren’t adverse to progress. But they are eventually fatal to it. India has yet to reach the conclusions Iraq and Italy did, but until that awful moment, Modi will continue being hailed as pro-business, and backed by big business.

Regardless, Modi’s obvious ambition has proven impossible to ignore, as that old BJP walrus LK Advani finds out. But becoming prime minister is still a way off. Modi’s party is, after all, the Bharatiya Janata Party, a troupe of kamikaze experts if ever there was one. Inert in Uttar Pradesh and losing ground in the south, the BJP crawled to just 116 seats in 2009’s Lok Sabha, a world away from the infamous 272 required. Nor does Modi have anything close to the parliamentary experience PM Vajpayee had. And unlike Vajpayee, Modi is controversial as sin (and enjoys it).

Yet, the fact remains — much of India loves Modi, a “disciplinarian” standing tall against the corruption-sodden Congress Party. With his thick wrists and blood-and-guts rhetoric, Narendra seems the right answer to delicate Rahul Gandhi. While the Congress scribes try their best to paint Rahul’s wishy-washiness as thoughtful leadership, Modi roars thatbagheechay ke phool are no match for jungle flowers. It’s a metaphor requiring little explanation.

And as a contender, Modi has gravitas. Like a character from a Yash Chopra film, Modi recently called for a “nationwide campaign” to collect pieces of iron from farmers, to put together a massive statue of Sardar Patel. This is Brand Modi, a worthy servant of India’s only Iron Man. Ironic then that Sardar Patel was the worst enemy of Modi’s RSS, an outfit he felt encouraged the Hindutva fanaticism that murdered Gandhi. Or that one of Patel’s most iconic moments was praying in solidarity with thousands of Muslims fearing Partition attacks at Nizamuddin Dargah, a Sufi shrine — nearly 300 of which were wrecked in Gujarat.

Which leads us to what happened 11 years ago. In response to a train fire that burnt 58 Hindus alive, the blood of nearly a thousand Muslims was spilt across Gujarat. It was slaughter as spontaneous as any campaign involving time and patience; the police and the state. That blood will never wash, but “Sri Modi” has tried his best to, at least, change the subject. The din of investment drives and technology fairs have muffled the screams of Gujarat’s widows, who watched as their husbands were hacked to torsos. Modi the Moderniser, it seems, has finally shed the title of Yamraj … the god of death.

A Pakistani novelist once said, “India is magic. It always was.” The elements that make up that magic are different depending on who you talk to: as a cradle of civilisation, as a birthplace of world religions and as a democracy exploding with sound and colour, its constitution etched by an untouchable. A land both vital and ageless. Yet, all this may be tribute to an India fast disappearing.

The India that celebrates Narendra Modi is a different place. Because Narendra Modi is the true leader of India Shining, the fakest sheen ever applied to a spiritual land. A nation that votes in a man whose outstanding trait is his bloodlust, is a republic that shines devoid of light. A place that will no doubt grow rich, but also communal, violent and unjust. And should Modi steamroll into Delhi, in a burst of saffron glory, Pakistan should brace itself. India’s Muslims may not get that luxury.

Scridb filter]]>http://www.dailytelegram.net/nightmares-from-narendra_066035.html/feed0Pakistan: a state or an Islamic movement?http://www.dailytelegram.net/pakistan-a-state-or-an-islamic-movement_065991.html
http://www.dailytelegram.net/pakistan-a-state-or-an-islamic-movement_065991.html#commentsMon, 17 Jun 2013 07:19:04 +0000adminhttp://www.dailytelegram.net/?p=5991Read more »]]>The writer is an independent political and defence analyst. He is also the author of several books, monographs and articles on Pakistan and South Asian affairs

The patterns of human behaviour have undergone major changes in Pakistan with a growing emphasis on the public display of religiosity, religious intolerance and extremism, and a tacit or open admiration of religious militancy. Those who have experienced Pakistan of the early 1970s know how much the state system and society have changed in terms of how the people articulate their identities, their idiom of discourse and historical and cultural references.

There is a strong tendency to reinterpret history in purely religious terms in order to justify the current efforts to describe the management of state and societal affairs as a function of religion. This attempt is understandable because those who want to dominate the present, often attempt to selectively control the past and use this as a justification for what they are doing today.

These trends have created doubts about the role of the state of Pakistan and how it should function at the global level. The key question is, should Pakistan function as a nation state recognised under international law and the UN charter, or should it function as a transnational Islamic movement? Should its global role be supportive of the Islamic movements initiated by hard-line radical religious individuals and groups? As radical groups view every individual and societal activity as a function of religion, they want Pakistan’s foreign policy and international conduct to be shaped by religious considerations and worldview.

If Pakistan has to function as a nation state, it needs to assert its primacy over its territory. It should not allow any group, religious or secular, to use Pakistani territory for activities that threaten other countries. Sovereignty of a state is a right, as well as a responsibility. It is a right of a state that other states should not violate its territory through military or non-military means without its consent. However, sovereignty also signifies the responsibility of a state to make sure that there is no effort to destabilise other states from its territory.

Pakistan cannot isolate itself from the present-day international system or push forward a radical religious agenda at the global level in collaboration with some militant groups. Such groups have a dichotomised view of world politics, wherein the non-Muslim world is viewed as an adversary. This approach breeds conflicts and clashes with the imperatives of the present-day international system, marked by growing interdependence and globalisation in terms of trade and investment and a flow of people, services and ideas across the territorial boundaries of states.

Pakistan’s capacity to play an effective role at the international level depends on its domestic political and societal harmony, economic resilience and positive relevance to the international system through trade and investments, soft diplomacy, cultural exchanges and contribution towards regional and global peace and stability.

It is important that Pakistan works towards peace on its borders with improved diplomatic and economic ties with its immediate neighbours. Pakistan should follow the example of China and build working economic and trade relations with India. Afghanistan should be treated as a neighbour, not as a problem that should be resolved to Pakistan’s satisfaction. The emphasis should be on economic and trade relations, societal linkages and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s role as a nation state also calls upon the policymakers to control all kinds of religious extremism, militancy and terrorism. There is no use getting bogged down in the narrative of how terrorism originally started and who is now sponsoring it. There are no good militants. All have to be dealt with effectively until they accept the primacy of Pakistan’s Constitution and law.

The PML-N and the PTI are viewed as friends of the Taliban. This raises doubt over whether they can control militancy, which will adversely affect the capacity of the Pakistan government to enjoy respect and confidence of the international community. Pakistan’s success at the international level is directly linked with its domestic capacity to function effectively as the supreme authority within its territory and remove the impression that its civilian and military authorities cultivate militant groups or give space to them to survive, with the hope that these groups might be useful in the future. It needs to be recognised that the time for pursuing foreign policy through non-state militant groups has passed.

The other alternative for Pakistan is to join hands with hard-line militant movements in order to pursue a transnational radical agenda. This can prove catastrophic, both in domestic and global contexts.

In the domestic context, the state of Pakistan will be at the mercy of extremist religious groups who would create denominational coalitions that would attempt to override their rival denominational groups. This would increase internal turmoil and make Pakistan unmanageable; some parts of the country will be lost to these groups.

Radical religious movements will either attempt to use the state apparatus to pursue their transnational radical agenda or use the Pakistani territory as a base camp for pursuing their transnational agenda by all possible means, including violence. In both cases, Pakistan will lose credibility in the domestic and global contexts.

Pakistan has no alternative to establishing itself as an efficacious nation state. This calls for building a viable economy that generates employment and improves the quality of life for the common people. This is linked with the capacity of the Pakistani state to cultivate positive relevance with the rest of the world. The major prerequisite for all this is a non-ambiguous and categorical approach to quell religious extremism and terrorism.

The federal government should own military-led efforts to control terrorism. If the federal government and the military want to succeed in countering terrorism, they need to push their military and economic development strategies to their logical conclusions.